Manufacture of sheets of flexible elastic material which cannot be readily punctured.



UNTTED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR EDOUARD BELLEDIN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS 0F FLEXIBLE ELASTIC MATERIAL WHICH CANNOT BE READILY PUNCTURED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,752, dated August 26, 1902.

Application filed March 20, 1901. Serial No. 52,098. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR EDOUARD BEL- LEDIN, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of Making Sheets of Flexible Elastic Material, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of sheets of flexible elastic material which cannot be readily punctured, and is therefore especially suitable for the protection of the inner tubes of double-tube pneumatic tires. For this purpose the invention consists of the process herein described of making sheets of flexible elastic material, which comprises the steps of cleaning and dehairing the hide of a suitable animal, immersing said hide in a bath of cold crude petroleum, then immersing the same in a bath of a mineral or a fatty oil, permitting the hide to dry, immersing the same in a bath of sodium or potassium silicate, cutting from said hide a sheet of suitable width, curling and curving said sheet, immersing the same in benzin, immersing the same in a bath of chlorid of lime, drying the sheet, and immersing the same in a solution of caoutchouc in benzin.

'In carrying out my invention the hide of any horned cattle may be employed. The hide is first washed or otherwise cleaned and dehaired by any suitable well-known process. It is then immersed for from two to twentyfour hours in a bath of cold crude petroleum and then from four to twelve hours in a bath of a suitable mineral or fatty oil. After removal from the latter bath it is permitted to dry-that is to say, the excess of oil is permitted to evaporate from the hide. In case the hide is not sufficiently thick for the purpose in view and it is desired to thicken the same, this step is now accomplished by immersing the hide forabout twenty minutes in a bath of potassium silicate or sodium silicate having a strength of about 33 Baum, and the same is then permitted to dry. The next step, either in case the hide has or has not been subjected to the treatment for thickening, is that of cutting the same into sheets of approximately the width of the tread of the tire to be made, which is accomplished by suitable knives. Each sheet is then subjected tot-he action of a convex roller passing longitudinally of the sheet, which action causes the same to curl or curve transversely and longitudinally. After the sheet has been thus rolled it is immersed for from six to twelve hourse in a bath of benzin, whereby it is hardened. Itis then removed and dipped in a bath of chlorid of lime of from 33 to 50 Baum in order to close the pores and sterilize the hide and is then permitted to dry. When dried it is ready to be applied in the manufacture of the tire. I

The tire is composed of three principal parts-an inner air-tight expansible air-tube of the common and well known construction in double-tube vehicle-tires, commonly termed the pneumatic or inner tube and formed, preferably, of india-rubber, an outer cover or sheath, known as the tirecovcr or outer tube and commonly formed of canvas or other flexible non-expansible web and india-rubber and being cut open at itsinnerperipheryforreceivingtheinnertube or pneumatic, together with myimproved protecting-sheet, prepared as described.

The protecting-sheet of hide is immersed in a solution of caoutchouc in benzin or bisulfid of carbon. This causes it to adhere to the tire-cover and renders it capable ofbeing vulcanized to the cover.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The process herein described of making sheets of flexible elastic material, which comprises the steps of cleaning and dehairing the hide of a suitable animal, immersing said hide in a bath of cold crude petroleum, then immersing the same in a bath of mineral or fatty oil, permitting the hide to dry, cutting from said hide a sheet of suitable width, curling and curving said sheet, immersing the same in benzin, immersing the same in a bath of chlorid of lime, drying the sheet, and immersing the same in a solution of caoutchouc in benzin, substantially as set forth.

2. The process herein described of making sheets of flexible elastic material, which comhide of a suitable animal, immersing said hide in a. bath of cold crude petroleum, then immersing the same in a bath of mineral or fatty oil, permitting the hide to dry, immersing the same'in a bath of sodium or potassium silicate, cutting from said hide a sheet of suitable width, curling and curving said sheet, immersing the 'samein benzin, immersing the same in a bath of chlorid of lime, drying the sheet, immersing the same in a solution of caoutchouc in benzin, substantially as 10 set forth. g

In testimony whereof I havesigned this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VICTOR EDOUARD BELLEDIN.

Witnesses:

EMILE LEDRET, EDWARD P. MACLEAN. 

